Exclusive Gallery: 1983 Nintendo Family Computer Teardown

Over in Japan, the NES was called the Nintendo Famicom, or Family Computer. Like the SNES, or Super Famicom that followed it, the original Famicom -- launched in 1983 -- looked a lot different from the one that was sold in the rest of the world.

In this exclusive gallery, shot in exquisite detail by the folks at iFixit, we take a look inside the spiritual home of Mario, part of a series showing off iFixit's new set of console repair guides.

Originally, the Famicom was white. This aging specimen, picked up by iFixit boss Kyle Wiens, is a rather more discolored beige. The hideous burgundy details are pretty close to the original, though.

Here are the specs:

Ricoh 2A03 8-bit 1.79-MHz processor (MOS Technology based on the

Motorola 6502 8-bit processor core)

2-KB (16Kb) on-board RAM

2-KB (16Kb) on-board video RAM

PSG Sound

256 x 240 pixels resolution

From left to right:

AC-adapter port

TV/Game switch

Channel-selector switch

RF audio-video output

The Famicom was the first console to incorporate D-pad controllers to acquire user input. Departing from the era of joysticks, the inclusion of the D-pad allowed for quick and accurate controls.

One of these things is not like the other. Given the matching design of the controllers, it is important to note that there are indistinguishable details that make each controller unique.

The first controller boasts the traditional layout: D-pad on the left, Select and Start buttons in the center, and B and A buttons on the right. However, the second controller flaunts the inclusion of a built-in microphone and a volume switch, all at the expense of the central Select and Start buttons.

The Famicom's miniscule 4-watt power supply won't be popping fuses anytime soon. That's about 2.5 percent of the power the Xbox 360 devours.